Gossage still looking good

ESPN's Keith Law is continuing to unofficially update the Hall of Fame voting from published ballots he's seen or has received on his blog.

As of 7:00 p.m. on Jan. 4, Goose Gossage has been named on 91 of 103 ballots (88%). To be elected into the Hall of Fame, one needs 75%.

The inductees will be announced on Tuesday.

Via YanksBlog

When Hank speaks, reporters listen

Hank Steinbrenner spoke about Johan Santana and Brian Cashman's roles to an AP reporter in Tampa tonight.

On Santana:

"Nothing is really decided at this point," Steinbrenner said Friday night outside Legends Field at the team's spring training complex. "I'm still leaning towards doing it. There's others leaning not to do it. There are some others that are leaning to do it also. Disagreements within the organization. Nothing major, but just different opinions. I've changed my opinion a couple times."

On Cashman:

"I always told him, 'I'm going to make the final decisions because when you're the owner you should,"' Steinbrenner said. "He is the general manager, and he has the right to talk me out of it and he has talked me out of some things."

He needs to stop with the Santana talk, and listen to his baseball and financial people. A move of this magnitude is not needed at this time.

I just hope Cashman is able to talk him out of it.

A few minor moves

Ex-Yankee Andy Phillips signed a minor-league contract with the Cincinnati Reds, according to Peter Abraham. He was also invited to Spring Training.

Matt DeSalvo also signed a minor-league contract with the Atlanta Braves.

On the Yankees' side, they signed RHP Scott Strickland, LHP Heath Phillips, LHP Billy Traber and C Jason Brown to minor-league contracts with invitations to Spring Training.

Clemens, Pettitte and McNamee asked to testify to Congress

ESPNEWS is reporting that Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte and Brian McNamee have been asked to testify in front of Congress on Jan. 16. Kirk Radomski and Chuck Knoblauch have also been asked to attend.

This is now getting very interesting.

Yankosphere: January 4

• Tyler Kepner reports that payroll is still an issue in the debate to acquire Johan Santana. He would cost an extra $56 million in luxury tax if he signs a seven-year, $140 million extension. Also, for some reason, Alex Rodriguez is endorsing Mike Cameron if Melky Cabrera gets traded. [The New York Times]
• Bryan Hoch will break down each Yankee position on a weekly basis. This week, he did a piece on catchers. [Yankees.com]
• Hoch also talked about Goose Gossage's Hall of Fame chances this year. [Yankees.com]
• Maureen, the Yankees Chick, is Peter Abraham's first guest blogger today. [LoHud Yankees Blog]

Today has been pretty quiet so far. I'll be here if anything comes out.

Why don't you have a seat right over there?

This man appeared on last Friday's installment of Dateline's series "To Catch a Predator" with the great Chris Hansen.

This man is a blatant Red Sox fan.

That is all.

41 days until pitchers and catchers

For everything on Yankees' Spring Training, this is the site for you.

Yankosphere: January 3

The news is starting to pick up slightly.

• Peter Abraham reminds us that Spring Training tickets go on sale on Jan. 11. If I remember correctly, all games were sold out last season, so get your tickets early if you plan on going. [LoHud Yankees Blog]
• Mayor Michael Bloomberg, in between pseudo-campaigning for president, will look into the free parking for VIPs issue that arose yesterday. He says that it "sounds like a large number." [New York Daily News]
• Jim Leyritz apparently wasted millions of dollars on booze. The victim of the tragic accident was also remembered. [New York Daily News]
• Sliding Into Home updated its Stadium construction photos. [Sliding Into Home]
• Scott Proctor is hosting a celebrity benefit to raise money for pediatric heart ailment research. Joe Torre and Johnny Damon will be among those in attendance. Proctor's daughter had open-heart surgery when she was three weeks old. [My Pinstripes, TCPalm.com]
  

Clemens: McNamee injected legal drugs

Roger Clemens proclaimed his innocence in the upcoming 60 Minutes interview with Mike Wallace.

From the CBS website:

Baseball superstar Roger Clemens denies he cheated by using banned substances and says his accuser, former trainer Brian McNamee, only injected him with the painkiller lidocaine and the vitamin B-12.

...

When asked by Wallace if McNamee had ever injected him with any drugs, Clemens responds: "Lidocaine and B-12. It’s for my joints, and B-12 I still take today."

Clemens calls the accusation "ridiculous" and says he "never" used any banned substances.

"Swear?" asks Wallace.

"[I] swear," says Clemens.

It will be interesting to see the rest of the interview and the news conference the next day. I'd like to believe Clemens, but I really don't know what to believe anymore.

Hank: No Clemens in 2008

Hank Steinbrenner is on a roll today.

After mentioning that the Yankees are preparing a final offer for Johan Santana, he spoke about the possiblity of a Roger Clemens return.

From the New York Daily News:

"I'm not signing Clemens," Steinbrenner, the Yankees' senior vice president, said in a telephone interview yesterday. He said the Yanks are not looking for rotation stopgaps - like they were last season - because they are so enamored of their young starting pitchers. And Steinbrenner feels the Yanks already have a strong mentor to the young arms in Andy Pettitte, whom Steinbrenner praised for his "veteran leadership.

Well, I agree with his reasoning. That's also why he doesn't need to trade for Santana.

Steinbrenner also believes that Clemens won't make a return anyway.

I know Santana and Clemens have been beaten to death, but they are pretty much the only two stories out there now.

(Louis Lanzano/AP)

Yanks have a shot at Santana - Is Hank interested?

According to the New York Daily News, Hank Steinbrenner has been preparing a "final offer" for Johan Santana.

"I think the Twins realize our offer is the best one," Steinbrenner said Wednesday in a telephone interview. "I feel confident they're not going to trade him before checking with us one last time and I think they think we've already made the best offer."

Steinbrenner said the offer "does not include two of the three young pitchers" - Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, from a group that also includes untouchable Joba Chamberlain - "but it's still the best one. And let's face it, we're the best able to handle the kind of contract (extension) Santana will be after."

Just say no. It isn't worth it.

Steinbrenner says later that "we're the best able to handle that kind of contract (extension) Santana will be after.

That may be so. However, there have been rumblings about the luxury tax within the organization and Brian Cashman is reluctant to break up the farm system.

I think when all is said and done, Santana will remain with the Twins at the beginning of the season. The Yankees don't need him at this point in now. Not for the price he's going to cost.

More Clemens drama

Apparently, Roger Clemens is facing a lawsuit if he says in his 60 Minutes interview that Brian McNamee was not truthful in his allegations, according to Duff Wilson of The New York Times.

The interview with Mike Wallace is schedule to air Sunday night after the football games, and I am definitely interested to hear what Clemens has to say. Hopefully Wallace asks the tough questions that baseball fans want to hear answers to.

Clemens will also answer questions from reporters the day after the interview airs at a 5:00 ET news conference.

Yankosphere: January 2

I am unveiling a new feature at Scott Proctor's Arm. Here I will place the miscellaneous news items of the day that shouldn't warrant its own post. Some places call it a links dump; I'm calling it the Yankosphere.

Without further adieu, here is the inaugural installment:

Bryan Hoch has some quotes from Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera regarding the 2008 season. [Yankees.com]

Hoch also answered some questions from readers. [Yankees.com]

Ex-manager Joe Torre spoke about not speaking about the Roger Clemens controversy. He also felt the Mitchell Report was incomplete. [Yahoo! Sports]

Peter Abraham lists a complete team of the remaining free agents. For the right price, I wouldn't mind Jeremy Affeldt. [LoHud Yankees Blog]

Happy birthday, Scott Proctor

As Mr. Anonymous informed me in my previous post, today, Jan. 2, is Scott Proctor's 31st birthday. Happy birthday, Mr. Proctor. Without you, this blog would not be possible, and I thank you for that.

Proctor, originally drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers, made his major-league debut with the Yankees in 2005 after coming to New York in the Robin Ventura trade in 2004. He then became one of Joe Torre's most-trusted relievers until he pitched just about everyday. He pitched in 102 1/3 innings (83 games) during the 2006 season. This is why many Yankee fans thought his arm would fall off, hence "Scott Proctor's Arm."

He was then traded back to the Dodgers at last year's trading deadline for Wilson Betemit, which was a blunder of a move. In 32 innings with the Dodgers last season, Proctor went 3-0 with a 3.38 ERA, striking out 27 and walking 15.

This is what I wrote the day he was traded:

Proctor will be missed here, and I wish him all the best in Los Angeles. I hope Grady Little will be a little more respectful of Proctor's arm. Knowing Little from 2003, it seems like he never likes to go to the bullpen.

Well, Little was fired after the season, and guess who will be managing Proctor. Yup, one Joseph Torre.

As always, I wish Mr. Proctor the best of luck in 2008 and beyond. And once again, happy birthday.

Leyritz had suspended license

This story is just getting worse.

From ESPN.com:

Former World Series star Jim Leyritz had a suspended license when he was charged with driving under the influence and killing a woman last week.

Leyritz was ticketed outside Albany, N.Y., for using a cell phone while driving June 20, and his Florida license was suspended Nov. 23 for failing to answer the summons, according to motor vehicle records.

He's going away for a long time.

Want to park at the new Stadium? Get ready to sell your kidney

You love Derek Jeter? Well, now you're helping pay for his parking costs, even though he has a $189 million contract.

From today's New York Daily News by Juan Gonzalez:

The Yankees and hundreds of their VIPs will get free valet parking for the next 40 years, courtesy of New York taxpayers.

The startling revelation of yet another subsidy for the richest team in baseball is buried deep in the fine print of a $237 million tax-exempt bond offering that city officials quietly issued the week before Christmas.

The documents say a $70 million state subsidy for parking improvements for the new Yankee Stadium (slated to open next year) has been earmarked for a new 660-car valet parking garage where virtually all the spaces will be reserved for the free, year-round use of the Yankees and their VIPs.

Also, the price of regular parking will increase by more than double. Gonzalez says that parking will be as high as $29 in 2010, when it was only $14 last year. He suggests it can go as high as $35 by 2014.

With the construction of the Metro North station and the Subway running behind the Stadium, there are plenty of options to get to the Stadium without driving - assuming you can even afford a ticket.

I can only imagine what those will cost.

A-Rod can't catch a break

Alex Rodriguez still isn't liked, apparently.

From YouTube:



I have a feeling people will come around when he's about to break Barry Bonds' career home run record.

Via Bronx Liaison

A-Rod wishes you a Happy New Year

The man just loves New York.

(AP Photo/Peter Morgan)

Yankees interested in Yu Darvish?

Who is Yu Darvish you ask? Good question. I didn't know who was, either. Apparently he's a 21-year-old Iranian-Japanese pitcher who is one of the best in the Japanese game.

The East Windup Chronicle (via MLB Trade Rumors) cites a Korean newspaper that says the Yankees would be interested in him for the 2009 season. It is also expected that if he is posted, Daisuke Matsuzaka's salary (six years for $52 million, plus the $51.1 million posting fee) would be the floor.

First of all, it is not clear if his team will post him after this season. Secondly, if he is indeed posted, I would be shocked if the Yankees jump on this unproven commodity for a price that exceeds Matsuzaka's. Matsuzaka was supposed to dominate this season and did not exactly impress me.

For more on Darvish, check out his Wikipedia page. His blood type is A, apparently. He also many not even want to come to America.

Since Daisuke Matsuzaka signed for the Boston Red Sox and left Japan for the United States of America, attention has been focused on Yu Darvish to help keep up the popularity of baseball in Japan. As a young star in Japanese baseball Darvish is expected to fill the void left by Matsuzaka’s departure. Unlike Matsuzaka, Darvish has told the Japanese press that he has no intention of seeking a move to America anytime in the future.

Leyrtiz releases statement

Jim Leyritz finally acknowledged his alleged drunk driving accident that killed a Florida mother of two.

From the New York Daily News:

"Due to the tragic and unfortunate events of Dec. 28, 2007, Mr. Leyritz and his family wish to express their deepest sympathies and condolences" to the Veitch family, Ostrow said.

Ostrow declined further comment, except to say he was Leyritz's friend and lawyer.

A lawyer for Veitch's family, Richard Abramowitz, offered a terse reaction, saying the woman's loved ones "are upset, and rightfully so."

Veitch's heartbroken husband, Jordan, and her two children, ages 5 and 13, were preparing for her memorial service today.

"We are mourning the tragedy," Leyritz's ex-wife, Karrie, told the Daily News yesterday. "It's terrible what happened."

This is very tragic, and hopefully Leyritz is punished to the fullest extent of the law. There is no defending a situation like this.